High school football: 4A state tournament bracket breakdown in Washington
High school football state tournaments begin this week in Washington. The state championship games for all six classifications will be held Dec. 6 and 7 at Husky Stadium in Seattle. Here’s our preview of the Class 4A bracket.
WHO’S THE FAVORITE?
Camas (10-0) takes the No. 1 seed this year, racking up quality wins against Roosevelt, Lincoln of Tacoma, Coeur d’Alene (Idaho), Monroe and Skyview. The Papermakers are probably the most complete team in the field, led by senior quarterback Jake Davidson (2,701 yards, 40 TD, four INT), who is completing 72 percent of his passes. On the defensive side, senior defensive end Luke Webb, a WSU commit, is a game changer.
ANY OTHER CONTENDERS?
Take your pick. This is by far the deepest and most wide-open bracket in Washington. We could see any number of teams winning it all. Heck, the two-time defending state champion is the No. 6 seed. Last year’s state tournament runner-up Graham-Kapowsin is the No. 9 seed. Locally, Sumner (9-1) takes this year’s No. 2 seed after an undefeated run through the 4A SPSL. The Spartans had a case for the No. 1 seed, with the only loss coming on the road to Oregon state power West Linn. Keith Ross’ Spartans have one of the state’s best defenses.
Go down the list: No. 3 Chiawana (9-1) is undefeated against in-state opponents and blew out everyone in the Tri-Cities this year, led by ball-hawking linebackers Braxton Feldmann and Cooper MacPherson. No. 4 Kennedy Catholic has the experience and pieces to win it all, led by versatile running back Indiana Jones, senior quarterback Devon Forehand and Division-I linemen recruits and brothers Lowen and Derek Colman-Brusa. Fifth-seeded Gonzaga Prep was the best team in Spokane this season and gives defenses headaches with its triple-option offense. No. 6 Lake Stevens won the last two state titles, has one of the state’s best offensive minds in Tom Tri and returns reigning Gatorade player of the year Kolton Matson, the state’s best quarterback. No. 7 Skyview, No. 8 Arlington and No. 9 Graham-Kapowsin all have the pieces to make a run.
DARK HORSE CANDIDATE
This is the only bracket in which the No. 14 seed has a legitimate chance to beat the No. 3 seed. Puyallup takes the 14 seed and has been one of the hottest teams in the state in the second half of the season. The Vikings nearly beat Sumner, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, recently. This won’t be a cakewalk for No. 3 Chiawana.
TOP 15 PLAYERS TO WATCH
TE Carter Cocke, Sumner, sr.
DE Derek Colman-Brusa, Kennedy Catholic, jr.
QB Jake Davidson, Camas, sr.
RB Kyson Douglas, Puyallup, sr.
RB/LB Braxton Feldmann, Chiawana, sr.
RB Noah Holman, Gonzaga Prep, sr.
RB Indiana Jones, Kennedy Catholic
LB Cooper MacPherson, Chiawana, sr.
WR/DB Parker Mady, Curtis, sr.
QB Leyton Martin, Arlington, sr.
QB Kolton Matson, Lake Stevens, sr.
WR Gavin Packer, Skyview, sr.
DB Taylor Rebar, Sumner, sr.
QB AJ Tuivaiave, Graham-Kapowsin, fr.
DE Luke Webb, Camas, sr.
CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION
No. 2 Sumner 27, No. 1 Camas 24
This story was originally published November 13, 2024 at 5:00 AM with the headline "High school football: 4A state tournament bracket breakdown in Washington."
